Owner St.Malo & Binic Steam Ship Co. Ltd. (J. Piprell & Sons Managers)
Builder John Fullerton & Co., Paisley. Yn 137 1897
Tonnage 150grt 58nrt
Dimensions 105.0(rl) 18.1 8.4
Propulsion Single screw, SR, 2cyl 14" & 30" -
Passengers 59
As the name of her owners implies this ship was built to trade from Guernsey to the French coast. Built as a cargo vessel she could carry 59 passengers to cater for the French workers who came to the Islands. She arrived in Guernsey from her builders on July 17 1897, and set out on her maiden voyage to St. Malo on July 21.
As trade expanded she commenced calling at Jersey and linked up to the English coast. Trade altered as a result of the First World War and a new larger vessel was built in 1923 to cater for the excursion traffic and the larger volume of cargo from England.
FAWN was sold on May 7 1923 to Donald Robertson of Glasgow, and passed to John Brown Kee, Ramsey on June 2 1927.
On May 16 1940 she was sold to the Liverpool Derricking & Carrying Co. Ltd., and five months later on October 4 1940 passed to the Norwest Construction Co. Ltd. (J.S. Baucher, Manager). A further change occurred on 6 November 6 1941 when she was sold to James C. Screen, of Appledore. On March 7 1947 was acquired by the Kingsley Shipping & Storage Co. Ltd., (David S. Merrifield, Manager), Appledore, and again after only a short period passed to the Wirral Shipping Co. Ltd., London. on November 24 1947 who four months later on March 9 1948 changed their name to the Wirral Steamship Co. Ltd., London, and she was renamed WIRRAL COAST on May 5 that year.
The owners ran into difficulties and the ship was being offered for sale by order
of the Admiralty Marshal in 1950, and she was sold for breaking up, work commencing
by the Stockton Shipping & Salvage Co. Ltd. at Thornaby-
Picture : Mr Deel, Binic. No. 544
FAWN Card dated August 27 1907 310 web 159.4k
FAWN departing Binic 101w
Picture : A. Mencel, Binic No. 141
Stamp cancelled 1902 315 web 106.6k
Picture : 542 Binic
Working cargo in Binic, with a horse-
Owner Commodore Cruises Ltd.
Builder Cardnell Bros, Maylandsea, Essex. Completed 1942
Tonnage 125grt 69nrt
Dimensions 108.4(rl) 17.8 9.5
Propulsion Twin screw, oil engines 330 bhp
Passengers
FLEET COMMODORE first came to Guernsey on June 9 1948 to operate to Sark, but for some unknown reason she only stayed for one day before returning to England.
The vessel had been built in 1942 as RML 534 a vessel of the Fairmile class, being acquired by Commodore Cruises Ltd., of Ramsgate and registered at that port on May 29 1948. As part of Commodore Cruises Ltd fleet she operated cruises from Clacton Pier and Ramsgate.
She returned to Guernsey on March 20 1951 and became part of the Commodore fleet
to be based in the Island when the company gained the contract to provide the services
to Sark and Alderney. On October 7 1952 she was registered in Guernsey to the Island
Shipping Co. ( an associate of Commodore Sg ) , but a month later on November 24
she was re-
She made the headlines a couple of times, on July 29 1958 she broke down when in the big Russell but managed to make port, but on August 11 1964 she hit an underwater object when on passage from Sark, and had to be towed into St. Peter Port by the Pilot boat.
The ships last full season in service was 1964 which she finished on October 14. The following year she was overhauled and was used on June 5 for one day on the Sark service and on June 8 1965 the vessel sailed for Southend. She was chartered / leased to Ron Williams (Marine) Ltd, Gravesend and served between Southend and Sheerness in the Thames Estuary, but the venture was not a success, and she was laid up at Tilbury at the end of July, with ownership remaining with Commodore Shipping.
The vessel made the papers again as on August 21 that year she sprang a leak and had to be pumped out.
I have been unable to trace her in service any further, but the Guernsey register gives the following details of ownership.
By bill of sale dated July 17 1965 the vessel passed to Errol Williams of London, who sold her on four months later on November 21 to Eva Marsh of 36 High Street, Ashford, Kent, who on December 13 that year renamed the vessel SEACLOUD.
Just over four years later she passed on January 13 1970 to A. P. B. Gould of London, but four months later on April 29 1970 she again passed into the hands of E. Williams.
NO FURTHER DETAILS.
Picture
: Courtesy 
FLEET COMMODORE at the Cross Berth in St. Peter Port, in her first years of service.
Picture
: 
Arriving at Sark. Photo taken from the bridge of COMMODORE QUEEN, -
the bell rope at the top of the picture. Picture about 1961.
Picture
: 
Point Robert light house at Sark
Picture
: 
Approaching La Maselin pier
Picture :
Seen at No. 4 Berth in St. Peter Port. 301w 495k
Picture : Courtesy Dudley Bradley
FLEET COMMODORE seen loading passengers at Maseline Harbour for
the return journey to Guernsey. 002w 389k
Picture
: 
Tucked up in Creux Harbour due to the weather.
Picture
: 
Waiting at the buoy outside Creux Harbour 131w
Picture
: 
Aboard FLEET COMMODORE w
Owner Channel Island Ferries Ltd.
Builder Scheepswerf & Gashouderbovw v/h Jonker & Stans. 1973
Tonnage 681grt 283nrt
Dimensions 139'5"(rl) 155'3"(oa) 39'2" 8'6"
Propulsion Twin screw, 2 8cyl Mirrlees Blackstone oil engines each 1250 HP
Passengers 14knots
This vessel was ahead of her time for the service she was designed for. During the
1960’s there was an ever increasing number of Channel Islanders wanting to take their
cars to France. The withdrawal of British Railways and the failure of Jersey Lines
Ltd. in 1969 resulted in people having to ship their cars by cargo boat then travel
by passenger boat or fly to meet up with their vehicles. With roll-
FLEUR DES ILES as the vessel was named (after a local competition) was launched on March 31 1973, arriving in Jersey on June 26, making V.I.P. trip to Saint Malo on June 30. It was unfortunate that at this time there were a number of fast passenger ferries operating to the Islands from France, and thus FLEUR DES ILES mainly carried cars and their passengers and this was now enough to sustain the service. After only two seasons the vessel was withdrawn from service on December 3 1974, and after laying up in Jersey left on March 27 1975 for Southampton for inspection and sale.
She left Southampton on April 10 as ROSPIGGEN having been sold to R/A Eckero of Finland. She did not remain long with them, as later that year she was sold on to Tirrenia di Nav, SpA being registered in Genoa as CARLOFORTE, early in 1975. Her owners have changed a number of times since, in 1993 they became Sardegna Regionale Marittima S.p.a. – SAREMAR, and in 2000 Procida Lines 2000 S.r.l. A further in 2003 saw her owned by SNAP.
NO FURTHER DETAILS
Picture
: PHOTO ONE 
Arriving in Jersey from the builders June 28 1973 111w
Picture
: PHOTO ONE 
Outward bound from Jersey July 26 1974. 101w
121w
Picture
: 
FLEUR DES ILES in Saint Malo. 601w 11.7k